Prologue

"I am so... Leaving!" Hiccup said putting the basket full of fish for Toothless on the ground "You and I are going to take a vacation. Forever." The black cat looking dragon turned his head in confusion, as if trying to understand his human.

The boy opened the basked and pushed it down splattering the contents that were soon eaten by Toothless.

But, maybe going away is the only option I've got. I mean, I've never really fit in anyway. And they want me to actually fight a Nightmare, for Thor's sake! I couldn't kill to save my life. And, by the way, I wouldn't. Hiccup debated with himself, then he stood up and began pacing aimlessly through the cove around eagerly eating the dark dragon. However, at the same time, Berk is my home. It always has been. Despite everything, every bullying incident, I still like this place.

He looked at his friend happily swallowing all the fish he brought, and the dragon was almost finished eating. Deep down, all Hiccup wanted was a peaceful place, where he wouldn't have to worry for his friend's safety and acceptance, a place where dragons and humans could live together. A place where he could feel safe and be himself instead of being something he wasn't in order for people to accept him.

He sighed as he realized that place was not Berk. But at the same time, he didn't really want to leave. It was his home, after all. He had to make a decision, tonight. Facing the Nightmare was not an option.

Trailing off a bit more without paying attention, he tripped over a stone and fell straight down to the ground, but not without trying to stay on his feet by holding desperately to a rock beside him, though it only made things worse because he cut his hand during the process.

Toothless heard the noise and stopped eating for a minute to look at his human companion, but since he wasn't in any mortal danger, the dragon turned back to what was more important: his fish. The boy noticed and looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile." Hiccup joked in a sarcastic tone more to himself than Toothless.

The sharp stinging pain in his right hand made him turn his attention from the dragon and back to the cut. It wasn't deep or very large, it just bothered him. A lot. He didn't notice, however, that he had left a small trail of blood on the rock. What Hiccup did notice was that he managed to rip a bit of his shirt as well, probably when he fell. A piece of the green fabric was held on a fallen branch nearby, the same Toothless took to draw the other day, but now it was just sitting around, ready to ruin his shirt.

Oh, great. The Gods must really hate me. Hiccup thought to himself sarcastically. I must be the clumsiest living being on this whole damn island!

The boy quickly grabbed the piece of green fabric from the branch and pressed it against the cut, catching the blood that was draining out of it. Soon it stopped bleeding and Hiccup let go of the piece, forgetting it entirely in the next moment. He decided to go back and change his clothes; he wanted to fly at night anyway, so he wouldn't risk being spotted on Toothless.

When the boy turned back to the village, he took a little longer, appreciating the view with a nostalgic feeling growing inside him.

Hiccup entered his house and went up to his room, took off his vest and the ripped shirt to put on a new one with a darker green fabric. Still lost in thoughts, he suddenly found himself preparing a satchel with journals and another with clothes and furs. He sighed and put both under his bed. He wasn't actually serious about leaving when he was speaking with Toothless, however, that joke was becoming an idea and the idea seemed to be turning into a possibility.

Yet, Berk was his home, surely. Albeit, wasn't a home supposed to be a place where you can feel safe, secure? A place to call your own. Somewhere one feels accepted, cherished and loved. It's different than the meaning of a house; home actually doesn't have to be a proper house, doesn't have to have four walls, or a roof. In fact, thinking about it that way, maybe Hiccup was starting to feel like the cove was more like a home than his own house. There, he could feel safe, at peace and accepted. He could be himself and that was fine.

The boy soon shrugged this thought off. Great, I'm so worried that I'm going mad! He thought again putting on his vest over the new shirt. He jumped in surprise when he heard the front door open. Quickly walking down the stairs, Hiccup found his father, looking as proud as he ever could have been.

"Oh, there you are, son." Boomed Stoick "I haven't had the time to congratulate you today for beating the Gronckle, and, more importantly, being the best at Dragon Training and earning your rightful place in beating the Monstrous Nightmare."

"Yeah, about that…" Hiccup didn't have time to finish, and it wasn't like he was being listened to anyway.

"You have made me very proud, son. And the whole village is looking forward to your fight tomorrow."

"No, dad, listen. I really don't wanna do this…"

"Nonsense, every teen wants to have this honor." Stoick rolled his eyes, not believing and not actually hearing his son's desperate hidden plea. Little did Hiccup consciously know, but that was his last attempt to try to be heard by Stoick.

"Dad, I mean it. Besides, I don't even believe I can do this, really. I-I think I just got lucky in the ring. I don't think I could face a really dangerous dragon like the Monstrous Nightmare."

"But you were doing so great, Gobber told me so. You're gonna be fine against that devil as well."

"No. Dad. I know for a fact that's not happening. And I don't want to do that, please don't make me do it."

"No!" His voice so loud it echoed through the wooden walls. The room suddenly became even quieter as the boy flinched from surprise at Stoick's outburst "Stop this nonsense, Hiccup. You are going to be a Viking. A true Viking. You are going to be strong and brave. A good leader to the people of Berk. And you are going to kill the Nightmare; that's final."

Hiccup sighed deeply and his arms went limp against his puny body. He was never going to be everything his father wanted him to be, he knew that much. However, hearing him being so stern about his wishes and that he was just so harshly demanding hurt Hiccup. He knew his father loved him, or at least he was supposed to love him, but Hiccup wasn't accepted or heard. Hiccup watched his father go inside a room with his sad green eyes before turning around to leave the house.

The boy went to the forge, praying Gobber wouldn't be there, he didn't want to explain anything to anyone. He sighed in relief when he saw it was empty. Grabbing another satchel, Hiccup collected his tools, if he was really going to run away, he'd need them. He only got the essentials, being careful to not put too much weight on his best friend's back. He was lucky until now that on his way no villager had tried to stop him and that he didn't bump in the other teenagers. But of course, it was Hiccup. Something was bound to happen and swipe away the tiny bit of luck he was having so far.

"HICCUP!" The angry yell made him freeze "I've been looking for you over this whole damn island. No one gets as good as you do, especially you. Now tell me how you did that trick in the arena, you don't deserve to kill the Nightmare and you know it!"

Astrid blasted at him holding her favorite axe in her right hand. She was mad, maybe even enraged. But you couldn't really blame her, she always dreamed about being first in Dragon Training, in beating all the dragons, and in killing them. She trained hard everyday since she was very young, however, a clumsy runt of a boy, who was obviously cheating, was taking away the honor she desired so much. She couldn't let that happen.

"There were no tricks" He squeaked nervously. Oh, for Thor's sake, I'm a terrible liar! Hiccup thought as she raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I guess I was just lucky. That's all. Actually, I think you'd be better against the Nightmare."

"Oh you little barrel of… What did you say?" She asked, confused.

"You heard me. You are smart and a fearless warrior. You're more suited for this, not me. I wanted you to get the Gronckle, but he went after me, and there was nothing I could do." She just wanted a scratch under his chin, to be more accurate.

"You really think that?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, I guess." She said putting her axe on her shoulder in a bold way. "Now all you have to do is make them change their minds." But she laughed; knowing Vikings were immensely stubborn and wouldn't allow it. Little did she know he had already tried to change Stoick's mind with no success. "Or you could just vanish so I could take your place. Yeah, that'd be a good idea."

She joked, not noticing Hiccup's reaction, as she turned around to leave. He wasn't sad or mad or anything. He was actually inspired.

What are my options, really? Try to convince the Vikings that all the tradition of killing dragons is completely wrong and they are in fact kind creatures? Not very likely. Face the Nightmare and get killed on the process? Very likely to happen if I go. However, if I'm lucky, Toothless'd save me, if only he could get out of the cove by himself. Or run away from Berk, for real, once and for all. No turning back.

He had thought about it, really he had. Hiccup just hadn't really go through all the available options, he was actually running away from deciding until then. What an irony, he was running away from running away. But that was the truth. He didn't want that, so he tried to ignore it by not analyzing what his options were. And the last one seemed to be the only one he could choose.

Besides, the whole village wouldn't miss him. Maybe Gobber, but he'd soon get another apprentice and forget about him with time. And maybe his father as well, but it wasn't like they used to talk much, so he'd probably just forget Hiccup ever existed, or so the boy thought. Soon people would probably just remember him when something stupid and careless happen, and they'd probably even forget he was ever good in dragon training.

All in all, it'd be better for everyone if he'd just… leave.

"Oh, Hiccup, you're here." Gobber said walking in the forge. "Didn't see you around, decided to work, for a change?"

"Yeah, I'm just finishing that sword Sven asked for."

"Good, you always disappear after class, so there are a few things that are a bit delayed."

"I'm sure we can keep up." The boy said trying his hardest not to show he was lying and to not raise any suspicion. He looked at his friend and mentor since he was a small kid, remembering that Toothless's tail had only been able to be built because of the knowledge Gobber had the patience to teach him "By the way, Gobber, thank you. For everything."

"Wha are you talking, lad? It almost sounds like a farewell." The man chuckled "Yer're not gonna die in the arena, if that's what yer're afraid of. You got really good at defeating tha beast."

"Just felt like I needed to say it. Now, let me finish this sword, I still want to go for a walk before going to bed."

"You need to rest, tomorrow will be a big day."

"Yeah, I know, Gobber. I know."

Hiccup left Berk at midnight, covered by the darkness of night while everyone else was sleeping. He looked at the village from the skies. The place he used to call home. His heart sank, it was a difficult choice, but he did it nonetheless. With a movement on his pedal, the prosthetic tailfin responded immediately and they turned around so Berk was soon left behind.